Cannabis News Roundup: October 25, 2013

Mendo forced to release info on permitting program… New breath test for THC unveiled… More polls show approval of pot… New health benefits detailed… Mid-Fifties cops awed by plants… and more.

CRIME & PUNISHMENT

Press Democrat // The US Attorney’s Office will be receiving “a limited number of un-redacted records” from Mendocino County’s suspended medical marijuana permitting program. The County has worked for over a year to keep these records private, but is now complying with subpoenas made by a federal grand jury. Federal law prohibits the county from providing specifics of the material involved.

Clinical Chemistry // “Driving Under the Influence” in a traffic stop currently means “under the influence of alcohol.” But a new study shows a very accurate form of breath test that will detect a driver’s THC level.

Huff Post // Google Earth sees everything, including pot plantations. A registered grower in southern Oregon was telling too many people that he had more plants than he should have, so police checked. It was true, according to the Google data. So they arrested him.

POLLING

Gallup Polling // A clear majority of Americans approve of legalizing marijuana, according to a Gallup poll released this week. The only sector of respondents with a majority against legalization were those 65 and over.

Huff Post // Not so fast, says this columnist, who says there’s more to those Gallup numbers than initially meets the eye.

East Bay Express // A strong majority of Californians also support legalization, providing it’s properly controlled, according to a poll released last week.

CONFERENCE

SF Gate // The International Drug Policy Reform Conference is currently in progress in Denver. Organizers chose Denver primarily because of Colorado’s legalization of recreational cannabis. Over a thousand people have signed up for the event.

HEALTH

The Weed Blog // The National Institute of Health has released a study showing that “cannabinoids (CBDs) can prevent the effects of stress-induced depression,” giving health professionals “a novel approach to the treatment of cognitive deficits.”

Huff Post // Mormon mothers are fighting for CBD-rich cannabis oil for their children with epilepsy. They’re seeing few side effects, and describe the results as amazing.

US News & World Report // An article in the peer-reviewed journal Anticancer Research says CBDs can be useful in treating “quite a lot of cancers.” Six cannabinoids were tested on leukemia cells. The British researcher notes that cannabinoids are non-psychoactive elements of cannabis.

IN OTHER NEWS…

MMJ Business Daily // Cannabis cultivators today usually measure productivity by “pounds per light.” Learn more about changes and advances in the gardening side of the business here.

SF Gate // Marijuana grows very well in southeast Asia, but Vietnamese love western imports, and that goes for cannabis, too.

Huff Post // This list of reasons why cannabis should be legalized is in response to those who told the Gallup organization that they oppose the idea.

Toke of the Town // Jail the plant, not the grower? That seems to be the case in these photos taken in 1951 at the Van Nuys, CA, police station. The officers seem more awed than threatened, however.